Fourteen animal shelters in the country have run out of space for dogs in the past three weeks.
Welfare charities say the capacity crisis is the worst it's been in a decade, with five facilities closing down on Monday alone.
The government is being urged to intervene and provide local authorities with more resources to care for abandoned dogs.
Sinn Fein Senator Lynn Boylan says there's confusion over which government department is responsible for handling the issue, 'The overarching animal welfare is the Minister for Agriculture but when it comes to the pounds and shelters - we have is the Department of Rural and Comunity Development which is Minister Heather Humphries, she is responsible for the legislation that is in place for dog pounds to exist.
However, the implementation of that legislation is actually with the Department of Housing.'
